Royal Caribbean's latest cruise promotion is to offer guests the option of buy one, get one passenger 50% off or free beverage package for two.  You may be wondering which offer will save you more money in the long run and we're about to find out.

Our test critiera was to pick a couple of random cruises in the future to price out how BOGO Wild affects the price.  We decided to pick cruises in June 2015, since they were far enough out to be a realistic choice for someone pricing out cruises about the time this blog post came out.

First test: Couple sailing on Freedom of the Seas

Itinerary: 7-night Eastern Caribbean cruise departing on June 14

BOGO Price (including taxes, fees and port expenses)

Inside stateroom (Category M): $2115.80 ($635 savings)

Ocean View (Category H): $2688.80 ($826 savings)

Balcony (Category D2): $4207 ($1,333 savings)

Free premium drink package price (including taxes, fees and port expenses)

Value of 2 premium alcohol packages for 7 nights:  $809.48

Inside stateroom (Category M): $2750.80 ($809.48 savings)

Ocean View (Category H): $3514.80 ($809.48 savings)

Balcony (Category D2): $5540 ($809.48 savings)

Second test: Family of 4 sailing on Allure of the Seas

Itinerary: 7-night Western Mediterranean cruise departing on June 14

BOGO Price (including taxes, fees and port expenses)

Inside stateroom (Category K): $6086.00 ($1160 savings)

Balcony (Category D1): $7816.00 ($1,604 savings)

Free premium drink package price (including taxes, fees and port expenses)

Value of 2 premium alcohol packages for 7 nights:  $809.48

Inside stateroom (Category K): $6086.00 ($809.48 savings)

Balcony (Category D1): $9420.00 ($809.48 savings)

Third test: Couple sailing on Enchantment of the Seas

Itinerary: 4-night Bahamas cruise departing on June 15

BOGO Price (including taxes, fees and port expenses)

Inside stateroom (Category M): $1194.16 ($345 savings)

Ocean View (Category H): $1494.16 ($445 savings)

Balcony (Category D1): $2248 ($750 savings)

Free premium drink package price (including taxes, fees and port expenses)

Value of 2 premium alcohol packages for 7 nights:  $462.56

Inside stateroom (Category M): $1539.16 ($462.56 savings)

Ocean View (Category H): $1939.16 ($462.56 savings)

Balcony (Category D1): $2998 ($462.56 savings)

Fourth test: Couple sailing on Oasis of the Seas

Itinerary: 7-night Eastern Caribbean cruise departing on June 13

BOGO Price (including taxes, fees and port expenses)

Inside stateroom (Category M): $2874.96 ($885 savings)

Ocean View (Category G): $3084.96 ($955 savings)

Balcony (Category D6): $3729.96 ($1,170 savings)

Free premium drink package price (including taxes, fees and port expenses)

Value of 2 premium alcohol packages for 7 nights:  $809.48

Inside stateroom (Category M): $3759.96 ($809.48 savings)

Ocean View (Category G): $4039.96 ($809.48 savings)

Balcony (Category D6): $4899.96 ($809.48 savings)

Conclusion

The results show that the less expensive the cruise, the better savings you will find with the unlimited alcohol package.  Conversely, the more expensive the cruise, the better the BOGO savings.

Of course, the savings you get with the complimentary unlimited alcohol package assumes you would be purchasing the unlimited alcohol package anyway.  Also, the free unlimited alcohol package savings come when you total the entire cost of the cruise, whereas BOGO reduces the up-front cost of the cruise.  Depending on how much you drink, the savings with the unlimited alcohol package could be greater than what's noted here in the grand scheme of things.

Across our four tests, the BOGO savings were mostly the better deal, especially if you are interested in a stateroom category of oceanview or above.  

For most people, the BOGO deal may still be the better deal but it will come down to where your priorities are.

It's a time honored tradition to name a godmother for new cruise ships and for Royal Caribbean's Anthem of the Seas the godmother will be a travel agent.

Royal Caribbean as created a new campaign called, "A Godmother Like No Other. Could It Be You?" and has launched a contest to find the ship's godmother in April.

Royal Caribbean is looking for a godmother who isn't just a travel agent but also a travel agent that can sing.  To enter, agents must show off their singing abilities by submitting a short video clip here.

Stuart Leven, UK and Ireland managing director, said having an agent as the ship’s godmother would reflect the line’s strong ties with the trade.

He said: “This is another wow moment for our agency partners. Royal has always been a trade-friendly brand and always will be. Since I started in this business, I have spoken about the relationship with the trade that I inherited. We not only wanted to protect that, but we wanted to take it to the next level.

“Agents are hardworking, so why shouldn’t they have a little bit of fun along the way?

“We won’t be short of people applying. I have worked in travel for more than 25 years and have recently spent time on agency shop floors with staff. If agents give just a snippet of the amount of energy they give to selling our brand on their performances, we will be in for something special.”

The chosen godmother will also receive some fantastic prizes including a full makeover for the ceremony, coaching from music and fashion experts in the run-up to the inaugural celebrations and an exclusive seven-night cruise in the luxury of Anthem’s Royal Suite.

The deadline for entries is Thursday, March 12.

Royal Caribbean is embarking upon reviewing its global creative agency business and aims to have a decision by May 2015.

The review will focus on the work of incumbent advertising agency J. Walter Thompson, who has been the lead creative agency for Royal Caribbean since 2007.

AdWeek speculates that some recent personnel changes at Royal Caribbean may have impacted the working relationship between JWT and Royal Caribbean.  Royal Caribbean has a new CEO in Michael Bayley and Marketing SVP Carol Schuster left Royal Caribbean.

Our newest podcast episode is out to help give you a quick "audio escape" to a Royal Caribbean cruise!

Episode 81 is available for downloading where we discuss the designs coming to public spaces on Anthem of the Seas.

Designer Tim Magill returns to the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast this week to talk about his team's work on designing spaces on Anthem of the Seas.  Tim shares stories behind the creation of these spots and gives us an idea of what to expect onboard.

Here’s the podcast page for Episode 81. And don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Stitcher or on iTunes!

Take a listen and as always, let us know what you think! Please rate and review the podcast on iTunes and leave your comments below!

Royal Caribbean announced new shows for its latest cruise ship, Anthem of the Seas.

Guests will enjoy two shows in the Royal Theater:

Broadway musical We Will Rock You: the smash hit musical featuring the greatest hits of legendary British rock group, Queen. Written by British comedian Ben Elton, the hilarious award-winning, record-breaking phenomenon is built around 24 of Queen’s greatest hits and tells the story of a group of Bohemians who struggle to restore the free exchange of thought, fashion and live music in a distant future where everyone dresses, thinks and does the same. Musical instruments and composers are forbidden, and rock music is all but unknown.

The Gift: an original Royal Caribbean production created exclusively for Anthem, The Gift is a musical journey of fantasy and illusion that begins one stormy night with the arrival of a “Magical Gift”.  A beautiful production that is sure to delight, inspire and touch the hearts of all who come to see it.

There will also be a new show in Two70 that is new on Anthem of the Seas.

Spectra’s Cabaret: an original Royal Caribbean production created by Moment Factory, exclusively for Two70 on Anthem of the Seas, features the Maestro and his Agents of Rhythm as they invite you to an electric multi-dimensional cabaret where you will be transported into invisible realms. Each night, the portal opens for a limited period of time and the audience immerses themselves in a multi-media show brimming with kaleidoscopic sounds, effervescent colors and dazzling movement. Spectra’s Cabaret blends live performance and experiential cinema along with music from popular culture. It creates a world seen through the lens of music and technology, all the while exploring the deepest recesses of the heart.

The news regarding We Will Rock You has been known since August 2014, but the other shows are new to Anthem of the Seas and were not available on sister ship Quantum of the Seas.

Here's another great post by Royal Caribbean Blog contributor Michael Poole.

Today, I come to you with some pro’s and con’s of cruising solo onboard a Royal Caribbean cruise.  I have cruised solo six times now, all within the last two years.  Let’s start out with the good stuff and go over some advantages of solo cruising. 

Rack up the Crown and Anchor points

In 2013, Royal Caribbean introduced one extra cruise point in their loyalty program, Crown & Anchor Society for all solo cruisers.  By booking a cruise just for you, Royal Caribbean will give you an extra point each night of your cruise.  

If you book a junior suite or higher you already get double points plus the extra solo point per night, equaling triple points!

These points help you gain extra perks onboard, such as drinks, coupons etc.  For more information on the Crown & Anchor Program, check out episode 34 of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast.

Meeting new friends

Another advantage of solo cruising is meeting so many new people; sure you can meet a lot of new people while you are with friends and family.  However, there’s just something about being alone and people will just flock to you, it seems to happen every time. 

I enjoy being social and talking to new people, so I find this as a huge advantage of cruising solo. 

Dining solo

One of the most common questions I get from someone inquiring about solo cruising is where did you eat dinner?  Surly not alone in the dinning room? 

I like to request a large table in the dinning room, so I don’t have to eat alone.  I prefer a table with 6-10 people, that way I get a chance to meet more people and not get stuck with one couple or even alone. 

Since we are on the topic of food, one con is when you are eating in the Windjammer, if you get up for seconds the table will be taken by someone else once you return.  So the trick here is to load up on the first round or leave a personal item behind. 

Getting seats at shows

Have you ever been running late to a show, and you can’t find two seats together unless they are in the last row? 

When you cruise solo there is always one good seat left and you can just slip right in.  I was once running late to the Aqua show on Oasis of The Seas, and I noticed one open seat in the front row dead center.  Same rule applies to sea days on the pool deck; I can always find a great seat by the pool.  

Going ashore

One area I haven’t really explored is doing excursions solo; I generally do my own thing or have visited the location many times before.  

That being said, I would only go with a Royal Caribbean excursion due to safety reasons traveling alone.  This does cost more than the private options that you can often find. 

Solo doesn't mean cheap

The biggest con of solo cruising is the price, Royal Caribbean charges all solo passengers 200% of the cruise fare whether you have one or two guest in the cabin.

The only way to avoid paying the full fare is Royal Caribbean will have reduced solo supplement fare to help fill cabins.  They don’t advertise these discounts, so you have to go find them, which is very time consuming. 

On the Quantum-class ships, there are special staterooms for solo cruisers that do not include a supplement fee.

Try it!

If you are thinking about solo cruising I would tell you to give it a chance and I’m certain you won’t think twice about it again. 

If I had to leave you with some advice for the first time, I’d say be open-minded and have fun with the new experience.  Feel free to post in the comments below with any questions and I’d be happy to help.  

Hope you had a great week (maybe one week closer to your next Royal Caribbean cruise?) and you had a chance to keep up with what's new with Royal Caribbean this week. But if not, here's a roundup of this week's news.

The big news this week was Royal Caribbean announced the float out date for its newest cruise ship, Anthem of the Seas. 

On February 21, Anthem of the Seas will exit the building she's been constructed in and she will be one step closer to delivery.  Float outs are an important step for any new cruise ship and for the public, we get to see the ship on her own in the water.

Once floated out, the ship will begin functionality tests.

Royal Caribbean News

• Royal Caribbean launched its latest promotion yesterday, BOGO Wild.
• Considering a virtual balcony? Check out photos from 8 days of virtual balcony views on Quantum of the Seas.
• Royal Caribbean raised the gratuity amount on its unlimited alcohol packages.
• TechCrunch offered up an inside look at the IT behind Quantum of the Seas.
• Future cruise ship visits to New Zealand's South Island are in jeopardy.
• Our total Royal Caribbean cruise planning timeline.

Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast

The eightieth episode of the Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast is now available and we're taking a look at Port Canaveral.

In this episode, Matt looks at the nuances of taking a Royal Caribbean cruise into and out of Port Canaveral, Florida.  This busy port offers a lot and Matt shares tips and tricks if you'll be visiting Port Canaveral as part of your next cruise.

Please feel free to subscribe via iTunes or RSS, and head over to rate and review the podcast on iTunes if you can! We’d appreciate it.

Royal Caribbean Around the Internet

BeyondShips has a review of Jamie Oliver's restaurant on Quantum of the Seas.

Royal Caribbean has a list of the coolest shore excursions on Oasis of the Seas.

EatSleepCruise tested out all the new technology on Quantum of the Seas.

Welcome to this week's edition of Friday Photos, where we share our readers' Royal Caribbean photos with all of you.  

To me, this weekly feature is an opportunity to enjoy a quick "mental escape" to a Royal Caribbean cruise vacation.  Let's get started with this week's batch!

Starting things off this week is a photo by John McCormack of Quantum of the Seas next to Celebrity Constellation in St. Maarten.  Quite a difference in ships!

Next is a photo of sunset over Labadee by John Siegmund.  As we all know, I am a sucker for sunset photos (and Labadee photos) so this is really great!

Here's a photo by RoyalCaribbeanBlog contributor Michael Poole of Majesty of the Seas docked in Nassau, Bahamas.  Sadly, there will not be many more opportunities to see her once she is retired from the fleet next year.

We have another sunset photo this week, this is from Ken Slusser from Independence of the Seas.  Great shot Ken!

Check out this photo from Frank Battiston of the crew preparing on the morning of New Years Eve festivities on Adventure of the Seas.

Victor Sacal sent in this photo from Quantum of the Seas and it looks like it's from embarkation day, also known as the happiest day ever!

Thank you to everyone who sent in their photos this week. Have a great weekend and be sure to send us your photos so we can post them next week by using this form.

Royal Caribbean announced today its newest cruise ship, Anthem of the Seas, will have its floating out ceremony on February 21, 2015.

#AnthemoftheSeas will exit the building hall on Feb. 21, officially docking out and bringing her one step closer to delivery!

— Royal Caribbean PR (@RoyalCaribPR) February 13, 2015

The float out date is subject to change due to weather conditions but if all goes well, Anthem of the Seas will leave Meyer Werft's building dock II.

There had been rumors the float out was going to happen earlier this week but those dates came and went with Anthem of the Seas still in her dock.

Anthem of the Seas is the second Quantum-class cruise ship built for Royal Caribbean and follows sister ship Quantum of the Seas, which was launched just a few months ago.

Royal Caribbean will be rolling out a new promotion on February 14, 2015 offering a choice of Buy One, Get One 50% off off or Free Premium unlimited alcohol package for two (Must use promo/rate code BEVERAGE for Beverage Package).

The promotion is called "BOGO Wild Offer" and in addition to the choice, passengers will also get $100 onboard credit for each oceanview stateroom booked or $200 onboard credit for balcony or suites.

BOGO Wild applies to 5-night cruises or longer on oceanview staterooms or above.

The deal will be available for booking between February 14 and March 10, 2015 for cruises sailing between May 15, 2015 and April 30, 2016.

BOGO Wild excludes Quantum of the Seas and Anthem of the Seas, Transatlantic, Transpacific and China sailings.